Afghan and Pakistani forces clashed and bombarded each other's border posts over the weekend, leaving 12 people dead. The fighting has been described as the worst in decades between the two prickly neighbors. Pakistani officials claim that the fighting was prompted by a misunderstanding between an Afghan and a Pakistani border post. Both governments and US and NATO representatives have met to resolve the dispute. [AFP, May 14] Despite the political intervention, three American and two Pakistani soldiers were wounded in subsequent firing that allegedly came from the Afghan side. [Reuters, May 14]

Afghanistan's parliament has forced Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, the current foreign minister, to step down over his mishandling an influx of Afghan refugees from Iran. [AlJazeera, May 12]

From Madrid11.net Security Briefs, May 14

This was latest in a spate of recent clashes, despite repeated efforts at mediation.

See our last posts on Afghanistan and Pakistan.